Bright Sparks: How Creativity and Innovation Can Ignite Business Success, reviewed

We look at the latest book from John Tusa, with a particularly interesting case study to begin the book too. See more about the book here.

Bright Sparks: Creativity and Innovation Can Ignite Business Success

This book by John Tusa aims to look at counter intuitive, but successful projects. Tusa has a healthy wide range of experiences from his work on different boards of management over many decades. For us he starts with the strongest example as his first chapter and dedicated case study.

Before we comment on that, it is fair to observe that there is a relatively good diversity in terms of the types of projects he looks at and considers. From the European Youth Orchestra to different media organisations, it does enable Tusa to consider why some projects have succeeded, despite or perhaps of their unconventional approaches.

To loop back to the first chapter, and the one we felt was the strongest and most engaging one. This considers the work of Rory Stewart in Afghanistan with the creation and evolution of the Turquoise Mountain initiative. Before Stewart was asked to help revive Afghan crafts, he had conducted a walk somewhere between insane and inspiring, documented in his book The Places Inbetween. This is very much a modern day classic and we greatly valued it when it came out in the early noughties. This book provided Stewart with invaluable experience of Afghan culture and society. Stewart was also fortunate to survive the experience too, but you will need to read that book to learn more about that.

Subsequently, probably informed and inspired by this, he was asked by the then Prince Charles, to try and achieve some cultural regeneration and development in Kabul. Tusa tackles all the elements of potential and perceived colonial assumptions or ignorance and local mores. Despite all of this, and with an initially slightly chaotic modus operandi Stewart does begin to experience success and achievement of the initial lofty, and perhaps wildly ambitious goals.

All of this supplies super interesting material for Tusa’s case study, so it makes for great reading. All the while through Tusa aims to be critical and analytical. This chapter is also helped by the fact that Tusa visited Kabul personally during this time, and is able to refer to his own journals too for notes. For all of these reasons it does enable this book, Bright Sparks, to kick off with a real bang. We found it useful, insightful, and you may do so also.

More about the book Bright Sparks

An enlightening insight into how creative and innovative leaders and their teams can find success, even in the most difficult circumstances and despite opposition.

One of the biggest challenges of business leadership is recognising new opportunities and implementing them effectively. Too often, leaders fall back upon the status quo, relying upon tried and tested methods that may lead to good results but will never have the same impact as a bold new strategy.

In Bright Sparks, John Tusa explores situations where pioneering leaders in various sectors have overcome challenges to deliver inspired, imaginative and bold initiatives that make a huge impact upon business and society. Through these aspirational stories of leadership, from sectors such as journalism, tech, politics and the arts, John explores the full journey of innovation and how it can lead to significant results.

This is an inspirational read for any business leader interested in how to turn their boldest ideas into reality and how, in the process, professional cultures can be enhanced, revitalised and transformed.

Sir John Tusa is a British arts administrator and leader, author, journalist and former presenter of BBC’s Newsnight. He is the co- chairman of the European Union Youth Orchestra and was formerly the managing director of the BBC World Service and the Barbican Arts Centre. He is the author of On Board, Making a Noise, and On Creativity.

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